Railway freight car roof



July 4, 1950 J. E. VAUGHN RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR RooF Filed March 21, 1947 I N V EN TOR. JO/z E Vaag/UZ,

Patented `uly 4, v1950 'UNITEAD;,STATES PATENT /OFFICE 'f t. n f 2,513,529.. I y f y j ""RAILWAY FREIGHT CAR ROOFv k `John E fVau-ghn, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Stand- .ardRailway Equipment Manufacturing Comu pany, Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Delaware Application MarchvZl, 1947, Serial N0. 736,231

. f This invention relatesy .roof known as the neutral axis type, wherein the roofvisheetsjare adapted, arranged and joined together to form a roof consisting of a series of portions in upperand lower spaced substantially 1 parallel planes, and the roof as a whole functions mechanically after the manner of a beam. The principal lobjectgof thepresent,.invention is to strengthen and stiften the seam Construction between the roofl sheets and adapt it for better coop` eration withthe' bodyportions of the sheets in taking-care of beam stresses." Another object is to secure ran equal distribution ofthe metal above and below the geometrical center line of the roof, thereby placing the neutral axis of the roof along said line and thus enabling the maximum strength of the metal to be obtained. Another object is to avoid extending the fastening devices from the outside to the inside of the car. Another object is to utilize the space between the upper and lower levels of the roof sheets to accommodate the roof seams wholly or in part.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification and wherein like reference letters and numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Figure l shows a part of a railway car roof according to my invention and also a side plate of a railway car.

Figure 2 is a cross section on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 shows the connection of the roof sheet to the side plate.

Figure 4 is a section on line l4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 shows the roof sheet of Figure 3 separated from the side plate.

The drawing shows my improved roof applied to a railway freight car having spaced side plates 2 comprising a substantially horizontal element 3 and a vertical element 4 and secured to the tops of the side Wall parts 5.

A roof according to my invention comprises a plurality of roof sheets 8 extending crosswise of the car with the ends thereof secured to the Side plates 2 and the sides thereof secured to each other.

Each roof sheet 8 is provided with portions in upper (9) and lower (I0) spaced substantially parallel planes which merge together into a single plane (I I) adjacent each end thereof and are formed into a depending ange I2, which flange overles and is secured to the vertical element 4 l thetype of metal car 6 claims. (o1. 10s-5.4)

ofthe side plate 3 by means of welding (I5) or by rivets (not shown) r The meeting edgesof adjacent roof sheets occurs in .portions 9 of the roof sheets in the upper plane, and veach roof sheet is formed. into a depending marginal ange I8 which extends downwardly substantially to the plane of the portions III in the lower plane.v These flanges I8 extend between (and preferably overlap) the horizontal portions 3 ofthe opposite side plates to provide beams therebetween, not merely connecting flanges.

.The .depending flanges I8 are preferably sejcured by welding tothe inner edge of the horizontal element 3, as shown at I9, thus providing two means (I5 and I9) to secure the roof sheet 8 to the side plate 2, which means are spaced apart so as to make each roof sheet, considered as a whole, a semi-restrained beam between the side plates. (Note Figure 3.)

The lower parts of the depending flanges I8 are preferably welded together, as shown at 20. Other welded material 2| is preferably applied at the meeting sides of adjacent sheets in the plane of the upper portions Il, thus securing cooperation between adjacent fianges I8-I8 in beam action and, furthermore, preventing moisture and foreign matter from getting between the fianges IIB-I8.

The depending flanges I8 are each preferably formed -with `a reflange 25 which increases in width toward the opposite side plates (see Figure 4) and is secured thereto preferably at the edge of the horizontal element 3, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, thus bracing the roof as a whole in a horizontal plane and obtaining greater fastening means between the anges I8-I 8 and the side plate 2.

In Figure 1 the upper portion 9 of the nearer roof sheet is cut away to show the widening reflange 25.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A roof for a railway car having spaced side plates each comprising a substantially horizontal element and a depending vertical element, said roof comprising metallic roof sheets disposed crosswise of the car and formed with depending end flanges secured to said vertical elements reto provide beams therebetween, and means to sev4 cure said last mentioned anges 'togetherlf 2. A structure as dened in claim 1 wherein said means comprises welded material fat ethe edges of said flanges andjctherwelded'material is applied at the meetingisldspf saidllastr'nentioned portions.

sufficient length to extend to and rest upon said horizontal elements to form a beam substantiallSr between said side plates lwhen applied to a railway' car.

5. A structure as dened in claim 4 wherein each of the last mentioned flanges is formed with a reange which increases in Width toward the opposite ends df the fshetandterminates adjacent said end'ilanges.

6. In a railway par having spaced side plates each including a substantially horizontal element i,and la=substantially Vertical element, a metallic roof sheet formed with depending end flanges to "be securedto-said vertical elements, respectively,

:portions of said sheet occurring in spaced sub- 'stantiallyparall'el'upper and lower planes to form 3. A structure as defined in claiml wherein said last mentioned anges are each formed Ywith a reange which increases in Width toward the opposite .side `plates Yof the c'ar 4`and are secured thereto.

. `4. A roof sheet for-a railway ca'rhaving side plates each 'including substantially horizontal and vertical elements, said sheet formed withl depending end -anges to loe-'secured to said vertical elements, respectively, 'and having .portions'thereof in -upper and lower'spaced substantially paral- 'lel planes to'form beamsextending substantially betweenvsaid end ilangesthe sides of said sheet being in -portionsthe'reof in'said upper zplane, the last mentioned portions each formed with v'a depending flange of suillcient depthtofextend vsub stantiallyto the plane ofsaid lower plane and of fbeam's extending between said end ilanges, the

sides of said sheet occurring in upper planes, said sides each having a depending ange and reilange, said anges being of a length to extend land-*said relari'ges ben'gfof a 'length to fextend between@and7 abut-the edges 'of saidhorizontalfelefmentsland befsecuredthereto.

V.JOHN VAUGHN.

REFERENCES err-En The following references apel-' ,rcord .m ,the

file Yof fthls battenti fao f UNITED STATES PA'IEN'Ts Number (Name Date y2,173,402 Thompson Sept. 1'9, 1939 

